Nothing real exciting to report on the personal front … David and I have been spending our time getting things ready for our trip to London. I’ve been reading books, he’s been booking tickets — your usual fare.
I think we’re gonna do a nice dinner here in NYC tonight to celebrate our trip … we fly out to London tomorrow night. All the sad news about Christian Bale and Estelle Getty has made today a bummer of a day … I’m hoping some good vibes come our way to get us on the rebound.
Very, very sad news to report … Estelle Getty, one of the stars of the hit TV series The Golden Girls, passed away this morning at the age of 84 years old:
This from her official website:
To all of Estelle’s Fans,
Sadly, today July 22, 2008 at 5:35 a.m. Pacific Time, we said our last good-byes to our little friend Estelle, who passed away and made her journey to the great beyond. Although it was a trip that she never wanted to take, she went gracefully, in the comfort of her own home, surrounded by her family and her very loving care-givers.
Estelle’s legacy will live on and on through the comedy and laughter she gave to us all, which will forever keep us laughing out loud.
For us here, who have known and cared for her for so many years, we’ve lost our dear little friend who always kept us entertained by filling our days with joyful laughter. Estelle’s fans across the globe have lost the feisty little lady known as Sophia Petrillo, whose quick wit, cutting remarks, and outrageous punch lines will forever be quoted and remembered.
Estelle was a fighter. She always stood up for the underdogs, fought for equality for all, and always pictured a world filled with “Love and Laughter” –her most favorite catch phrase.
Estelle, we love you and will miss you dearly. We pray that you are met at the Pearly Gate with open arms and a warm welcome by all who have passed before you. If there’s a stage over there, I know you’ll be on it. If there’s a thrift shop, I know you’ll be shopping, and if there’s a deli, I know you’ll be eating there holding court with Rhoda and Sylvia … and the laughter will be heard throughout the heavens.
Goodbye, dear friend. Thank you for all the talent and love that you’ve shared with us during your time here on Earth. You have touched my life, and the lives of so many others who will never forget you.
Until we meet again…
Sadly, Estelle had been suffering from Lewy Body Dementia in her final years and, as I understand it, had no recollection at all of her fame as Sophia Petrillo or of her co-stars on The Golden Girls. Even still, I am very, very saddened by this news. No lie, David and I were rewatching an episode of GGs (where Sophia accidentally steals the Pope’s ring which aired on Lifetime this morning) when we heard the news. I wish her eternal love and peace … she will be sorely missed :(
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George Takei was on hand at the Orpheaum Theatre in LA to present his friend and co-star Nichelle Nichols with an award last night at the Closing Night Gala of this year’s Outfest Film Festival. George presented Nichelle with the Liberty and Justice Award on behalf of the ACLU … here are a few pics of the Star Trek stars at last night’s affair:
Pioneering actress Nichelle Nichols, who played Lt. Uhura on the original “Star Trek” television series, will receive the Liberty and Justice Award from the ACLU of Southern California Foundation on the closing night of this year’s Outfest 2008: the 26th Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Film Festival on Monday, July 21, 2008. The award, in recognition of Ms. Nichols’ contributions to the fight for civil rights and social justice, will be presented at the closing night gala screening of “Tru Loved” at 8 p.m. at the Orpheum Theatre, 842 South Broadway, in downtown Los Angeles. Ms. Nichols is one of the stars of the film. As Lt. Uhura, Ms. Nichols was the first African American actor to have a recurring, non-stereotypical role on a network television series. The series was broadcast from 1966 to 1969 and before that time, most black actors on television portrayed servants. Even though the role was groundbreaking, she felt it was not substantial and was tempted to quit the show. But Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. convinced her to stay with the series because Lt. Uhura was an important role model for black children. “Ms. Nichols’ trail-blazing role on ‘Star Trek’ allowed her to portray racial equality in our nation’s future, which brought us closer to full equality in our present,” said Ramona Ripston, executive director of the ACLU/SC, in announcing the award. “She also worked to expand opportunities for women at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).” After the series ended, Ms. Nichols worked as volunteer for NASA on a special project to recruit women and minorities to the space program. Among those recruited by that project were Dr. Sally Ride, the first American female astronaut, and U.S. Air Force Col. Guion Bluford Jr., the first African American astronaut. Dr. Mae Jemison, a former astronaut who is African American, said seeing Ms. Nichols on “Star Trek” inspired her to become a physician and astronaut.
I have always held Nichelle Nichols as one of the unsung heroes in Hollywood. She absolutely was a pioneer for helping fight racism just by being herself … for boldly going where no other African American actress went before. Lt. Uhura’s skin color was never an issue on the show, which was significant because Star Trek aired during a time of particular racial unrest. I am very pleased to see that she is being recognized for her efforts … and by her good friend George Takei, who has done his part to help fight sexual orientation discrimination. Much congrats and love goes out to Nichelle Nichols, her Liberty & Justice Award is well deserved.
[Photo credit: Splash News]
OMG … here it comes … the boy drama, the girlfriend drama, the Pratt drama — and another Montag?! Season 4 of The Hills looks chock full of a whole lotta awesomeness … check out the trailer:
Batman: The Dark Knight had its UK premiere at Odeon Leicester Square in London, England last night where the principal stars (including Christian Bale, who has been since arrested for alleged assault against his mother and sister) came out for the event. Here are a few pics from the red carpet arrivals last night:
It’s hard to not think about the allegations against Christian Bale right now, especially when looking at photos of the man. In any event, everyone looked great on the red carpet … Maggie Gyllenhaal especially looked great in her sexy black dress. Here are a few pics of some of the other celebs who came out for the premiere:
As always, it’s nice to see the McFly boys out and about and how about that Kelly Osbourne. The girl see-saws between lookin’ really tragic to lookin’ really good — she looks pretty amazing these days, I think. I’m not sure what Ne-Yo was doing at the premiere (it’s a pretty random sighting) but I’m sure a good time was had by all. I am very much looking forward to hearing what folks in the UK and Europe think about The Dark Knight. After setting 8 box office records here in the US last weekend, I’m curious to see how the rest of the world will receive the film.
[Photo credit: Splash News]
In an interview that was broadcast on Good Morning America this morning, while promoting the release of her new album Breakout and her latest Hannah Montana movie, Miley Cyrus addressed (again) the controversy that ensued after she appeared in the June issue of Vanity Fair magazine exposing her bare back. Miley admitted that the photo was a “mistake” and came about as a result of “trying to get things done, and maybe look for an older audience”:
Teen pop sensation Miley Cyrus is stepping back into the spotlight, promoting her new album “Breakout” and calling the provocative photos of her published in June’s Vanity Fair magazine a “mistake.” The revealing photos caused an uproar and threatened to tarnish the 15-year-old’s squeaky-clean image when they were released back in April. “I think I was just in a stage where I was just trying to get things done, and maybe look for an older audience. I was working with a big magazine just trying to go with what they were saying,” Cyrus told “Good Morning America’s” Robin Roberts, speaking in an exclusive interview for the first time since the Vanity Fair photo shoot. Cyrus described the ensuing criticism that she faced as a “hard time,” and said she now “knows what it’s like to have people talk about you like you’re kind of iron. People need to remember that I am young and that I do have feelings, and I’ll do the same thing for them. Anyone who was 15 years old can’t say they haven’t made a mistake. So I think it’s just normal,” she said.
It’s interesting that she would bring up this issue again after it caused her so much pain and embarrassment a couple of months ago … but, when you’re promoting an album, well, I guess you do what you can to get the job done. My criticism of the whole thing wasn’t that Miley was a bad person or even that the photo was too risqué … I have a hard time with the fact that both of her parents were at the photoshoot with her (her father, Billy Ray Cyrus, even appeared in a photo with her), that they had no problem with the pose or the photo when it was shot and then immediately tried to place the blame solely on the magazine and photographer Annie Leibovitz once Miley’s conservative fanbase became outraged. And now, the Miley Cyrus promo machine has no problem trudging up the controversy for their own promotion. See, the girl may be 15 and she may make mistakes as we all do but she’s also pretty savvy for the Entertainment biz — no publicity is bad publicity. At least she finally took on the blame for the VF photo fallout … it’s convenient that she is doing so now while she’s trying to sell albums, tho.
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